Under The Covers
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: How Momo and Toshiro came together when they were little... Happy Birthday Fourpeg!


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A/N: Hello everyone! This is a special fic dedicated to my friend Fourpeg for her birthday! So I hope that she (and everyone else) enjoys! Happy Birthday! :3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. ;0;**

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Under The Covers

"Shiro-chaaan! Wait for me!" The little brown haired girl called.

Her white haired friend had just taken off into the woods at top speed, and she had no option but to follow him. Pebbles grazed her bare feet as she chased after him, tree branches scratching her arms. Finally, she reached the end of the little forest where the trees suddenly stopped.

Toshiro had already stopped running, and Momo almost crashed into him, but stopped herself at the last second. In front of them was a wide pond that sloped upwards from the bank to where they stood now. The rough grass from the forest turned into a soft, mossy, miniature pasture as the hill sank into a sandy bottom at the water's edge.

"Shiro…chan…" Momo panted, "Why didn't you wait for me?" Toshiro turned around to face her.

"It was a race!" He snapped. "You're not _supposed _to wait for the other person, baka!"

'I _know _it was a race, _Shiro-chan_," She emphasized. "But we didn't say 'go' yet."

"_I _did." He mumbled.

"Yes. In your _mind_!" She scoffed playfully, ruffling his spiky hair to annoy him.

"I thought I told you _not_ to pat my head!" He jerked away from her and she giggled.

"I just wanna sit down for a minute." She sighed, looking out over the water and lowering her body to the ground. She hugged her knees in to her chest and folded her arms around them.

Toshiro sat down next to her with a small snort, but said nothing.

Momo knew that he liked the pond, and would always want to sit by it no matter what. Toshiro crossed his legs and just stared out across the water, slumping his shoulders to try and make himself look bored. But Momo saw a sparkle in his eye that she knew showed that he really loved this place.

Actually it was what she did _not_ know, and rather that he loved the person he was with.

After a while, Momo began to feel uncomfortable, so she lay down on her back and stared at the rainbow sky as the sun set. The sky was still violet from the daytime, and then it changed into blue a little farther along the sky. After the blue, there was a slight green color and then pink. The pink melted into red, which brought forth orange and finally yellow. It was a very rare sight indeed, like a watercolor painting.

Toshiro saw the sky's stunning colors through the reflection of the rippling surface of the lake.

Neither of them spoke, they just stared off into the distance. The only sound was of the small waves lapping at the shore, and several bird tunes as they sang their last songs of the day.

Steadily, the sky grew darker and darker as the violet pushed the other colors out of they sky, one by one until it was the only one left.

Toshiro sighed, in disappointment as a cold wind blew by and silenced the last twittering bird.

"Oy, Momo-chan, we should go now." He grumbled.

When she did not reply, he turned his head to look at her and found her sleeping. He blinked once before rolling his eyes and then smacking his forehead with his palm. Then he crawled over to her and stared down at her.

Her pigtails were draping over her shoulders, one arm was lying across her stomach, and her face was turned away from him.

He was suddenly overcome by this strange feeling that he could not place. He knew that he had strong feelings for his friend, stronger than just 'like'. But this was an odd, intense feeling, something important. He gazed down at her as he tried to find the name for this emotion.

He watched her as she slept, her chest rising and falling at a steady pace as she breathed. Another gust of wind ruffled her hair and blew her kimono slightly. Her jaws were parted a little, but there was a small, content smile on her face.

Suddenly it came to him; protection. Toshiro felt the need to protect her so that she never had to suffer, and so she could always be happy and content, and always sleep peacefully like she was now. He never wanted her to be hurt or sad.

With these thoughts in his mind, he reached down and gently shook her shoulder. "Oy, Bed-Wetter, wake up." She stirred and turned her head towards him.

"Mmm…Shiro-chan?" She mumbled, blinking her eyes open.

"Stop calling me that." He flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" She squealed, sitting up straight. "What was that for Shiro-cha-"

"You're overdue." He explained with a smirk. "It's been more than a minute".

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Momo and Toshiro made their way back home together, where Toshiro's Obaa-san would be waiting.

As soon as they got through the forest, they could see the silhouette of their house on the top of a small hill not far ahead through the shadows. The moon was plain in the sky, it was in the shape of a cat's claw and small, glowing stars speckled the dark night sky. After they had gotten back to their little house, they ate a quick dinner together with their grandmother before retreating to their room for bed.

"Oyasuminasai, Obaa-san." Momo smiled up at the elder woman and gave her a quick hug.

"Oyasuminasai." Toshiro echoed. He always made it sound like he was embarrassed by his grandmother, or something, but they all knew that he was just shy about showing his feelings; and not only for his grandma.

The old woman wished them good night as well, and the two friends walked to the room that they shared.

Since it was halfway through Autumn, the nights were getting longer and colder. As the two crawled into their bed, Momo shivered and pulled the sheets close to her body, but then released her grip instantly so that Toshiro could have some.

"Gomen ne, Toshiro-kun." She removed the covers from her own body and draped them over his. He turned to face her.

"Quit it." He mumbled. "You know I don't need blankets, I don't get cold as bad as you do."

"But they're just sheets, Toshiro-kun! Please just use them!" She begged, not wanting her best friend to catch a cold, no matter how unlikely the odds were.

"Exactly!" He snorted. "They're _just _sheets! They'll _hardly_ keep _you_ warm." He shoved the white material back at her.

"Shiro-chan!" She whined in protest.

"Be quiet and go to bed." He turned over without another word.

Momo stared at him in frustration. _Why are these sheets so small?_ She thought angrily.

She eventually flipped over to stare out the window on her side, since Toshiro's end of the bed faced the wall.

Dappled moonlight had managed to find its way past the few remaining leaves in the treetops and filtered into the room. The shadows were dark aside from the small, ghostly light.

Momo found that she could not sleep, knowing that her friend was cold. Even though they lived in the first district of Rukongai, it still got cold as the seasons changed; and tonight was very chilly indeed.

Once Momo turned around again, she found that Toshiro was sleeping already. So she slowly pulled up the sheets and laid them on top of him. She smiled in satisfaction and then took the small amount of remaining covers for herself. It was not enough to keep her warm, but she would live. Besides, her Shiro-chan was quivering.

She was facing his back as she closed her eyes, but only a few seconds later her eyes snapped open again.

"Momo!" Toshiro growled, flipping around to face her. He grabbed the blankets and threw them over her body.

"But Toshiro-kun, you'll catch a cold!" She insisted.

"So will you!" He shot back.

Momo's eyebrows furrowed. Then, an idea came to her. She inched closer to him and he blinked in confusion. Then she laid the sheets on top of both of them.

"There." She stated, looking away and hiding her face in her pillow to conceal her blush.

"Momo, it'll be so uncomfortable, we're too close together." His face was pink as well.

Then, Momo pulled the covers over both of their heads as a chill crept up her spine and spread through her body. Toshiro was so close to her that he felt the shiver shake her.

"Ah! Gomen ne!" She apologized again. She had pulled the sheets up so quickly from the chill that she had not known exactly what she had done. She was about to push the blankets away from their heads, but Toshiro grabbed her wrist.

"Don't. Its warmer this way." He pointed out.

Momo stared at him in confusion for a split second before glancing around. She could only see the pale gray sheets above their heads. They both shared a brief smile and then snuggled closer to each other.

Toshiro was right; it was _much _warmer.

They were facing one another, and as their eyes locked, Momo quickly blushed and buried her face in her pillow again. Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"Oy, Bed-Wetter." He shook her shoulder. "You're gonna suffocate if you do that." He informed her.

"I'm fine." Came the muffled reply. _No _way _am I letting him see me like this!_ Her face grew even redder.

"Fine." He sighed, rolling onto his back.

Then he lifted the covers and let a waft of fresh oxygen come under the blankets, and he sniffed it loudly. He had hoped that she would look up and try to get some air too, but Momo stayed where she was. He dropped the covers and let them fall over his head again. _I guess there's no other way…_

He placed his hand on her shoulder, and before she could ask him anything, he gathered the coldness of the air into his hand and released a frozen jolt onto her body. Momo jerked away from her pillow with a sharp gasp as the cold sensation spread through her.

"What was _that_ for?" She wailed.

"Because." He chuckled.

"Because what?" She prompted.

"Just because."

"But why?" She complained.

"_Because,"_ The boy repeated. "I can." He grinned.

He liked his power to control cold and ice.

Momo groaned in frustration, and then picked up her pillow and brought it down on his head.

"Oh so that's how it is huh?" Toshiro grabbed his pillow as well and hit her back.

They proceeded to have an awkward pillow fight, for it was not easy to do since they were both lying down, and the covers on top of them were weighing them down. There were giggles, squeaks and chuckles as the pillows moved back and forth. Finally, Toshiro managed to knock his opponent's pillow out of her hands. He sat up and placed one hand on either of her shoulders and pinned her down to the bed.

"Gotcha!" He announced triumphantly. Momo squirmed under him but could not shake him off.

"You're so skinny!" He exclaimed.

"No fair!" She cried. "You're so small, I kept missing!" She taunted. His smile faded as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"What was that?" He asked, leaning forward, their faces only inches apart now. Momo blushed but then whimpered in pain as the weight he was putting on her shoulders increased. He instantly released some of the pressure, but still held her down. "Am I small _now_?" He asked.

Momo stopped breathing as his face moved closer for a second but then pulled back. He actually looked a lot bigger from this perspective, being trapped under his strong grasp. She squeezed her eyes closed in embarrassment as her face turned cherry.

Finally satisfied, Toshiro let go of her shoulders and lay back down next to her. Momo exhaled in a gasp and panted for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked her, moving closer again. Momo only managed to shake her head vigorously. "Did I hurt you?" He asked, his taunting jeer faded to a concerned whisper.

"N-No!" She answered quickly. "I-I just think it's hard to breathe under here." She said quickly as an excuse. Then she pushed her way from under the sheets and poked her head out. She inhaled deeply several times. The air was cool and fresh compared to the stuffy, compact oxygen under the blankets.

She pulled her head back underneath to find Toshiro smirking at her. "N-N-Nani?" She asked, another blush threatening her cheeks.

"Nothing. Oyasumi." He sounded bored. Then he closed his aqua eyes.

Momo thought that they should not sleep under there with the lack of oxygen. Toshiro soon realized this as well and turned back to face her. Silently understanding each other's thoughts, they moved so that their heads were above the sheets.

"Oyasuminasai, Shiro-chan." Momo repeated the phrase she whispered to him every night.

But then, she did something she had never done before.

She leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek. His aqua eyes widened and she giggled lightly.

He loved that sound.

Her breath tickled his ear before she pulled back slightly. Momo laid her head down comfortably on her pillow and closed her eyes. Toshiro got an idea of his own and leaned forward.

He copied her, and this time, _he_ kissed _her_ cheek and he heard her gasp in surprise. He smirked and pulled away to look at her.

Her face was crimson, but her chestnut eyes were bright and dancing with excitement and joy.

Suddenly, a gust of harsh wind howled outside and Momo nestled closer to the white haired boy. Her arms were pressed against her chest and her legs were bent back at the knees, her body curled up in a ball to savor heat.

Toshiro did not usually get cold, but he always welcomed warmth.

He placed one arm across her small shoulders and his other hand grasped hers.

Their bodies were close together and the warmth that the other offered was greatly welcomed.

That was _one _thing Toshiro loved about her; she was so warm.

And Momo loved the way he comforted her and let her inch closer to him whenever she shivered.

Then, two chestnut orbs locked with two aqua ones. Momo counted three of her heartbeats before the two friends exchanged a smile. Afterwards, they both closed their eyes.

Momo tried to concentrate on sharing her body heat; Toshiro always seemed to be so cold.

She kept nestling closer to him, not only for comfort, but mainly to share her warmness. But before long she had drifted off into sleep.

Toshiro felt her body go limp and her shoulders relax. Her fingers uncurled slightly in his grasp and her breathing slowed. He nudged his head under her chin like a kitten, and rested his ear on her collarbone. He took in her sweet, peachy scent and smiled. He could hear the soft swishing of air above him as she breathed.

But above anything else, he heard the steady drumming of her heart beneath his ear. It was slow and even, matching her chest as it rose and fell with her breathing. The beating of her heart lulled him closer and closer to sleep.

But suddenly, the slow, even pounding quickened and her heart rate doubled.

Alarm shot through him as he thought that she could not breathe for some reason. He opened his eyes and was about to call her name when she whispered something in her sleep.

He easily understood what she murmured.

"Toshi…ro..." She breathed softly.

Said boy blinked sleepily in confusion. _Is she awake?_ He asked himself. But he knew that she was asleep, for she said nothing more. His tense shoulders relaxed again. _I make her heart beat faster? What does that mean? _He pondered, not knowing much about love just yet. He shrugged and made a mental note to figure it out some day.

He rested his head on her collarbone again and listened as the thudding of her heart slowed and gradually returned to normal.

This time, the beating let him drift off into a warm, comfortable slumber with his best friend.

And little did Hinamori Momo and Hitsugaya Toshiro know, that their relationship in the future had all started with that night Under The Covers.

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**A/N: YAY! So did you like it?**

**Okay I know I say Hitsugaya and Hinamori in my other fics, but since they are little in this one I decided to use Toshiro and Momo, because its more childish. Well, I just thought it worked.**

**Please tell me if there are any mistakes and please review!!**


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